DSA: The group that is taking the Democratic Party to the extreme

"Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit." This is the sentence that begins the statement the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) use to define their principles and goals. The organization—totally contrary to the concepts that govern the social, political and economic structure of the country—advocates the implementation of a new model, one "where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society." This means replacing the current system with what they call democratic socialism.

The DSA was born out of the merger between two separate entities—the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) and the New American Movement (NAM)—in the early 1970s. As it details on its website, following the victories of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher (U.K.), its goal was and remains "organizing an ideological and organizational socialist presence among trade union, community, feminist and people of color and other activists."

In recent years, the DSA has gradually gained momentum, primarily via its ideology and the radical policies it spreads that have become increasingly instilled within one of the most important organizations in the country's history. It is limited to operating from within the Democratic Party. Because, instead of taking the plunge and presenting a candidate who represents the organization by name, it prefers that its members run as Democrats, the party that now runs as the opposition to the White House in each of the elections that are held. This was precisely what happened with Zohran Mamdani.

Mamdani, AOC and Tlaib among its members

Mamdani's victory in New York City mayoral election, defeating Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa with more than 51% of the vote, is the latest sign of how the DSA is making inroads within the Democratic establishment. With the radical ideas conveyed from the organization's leadership, the mayor-elect—who is affiliated with the movement—managed to convince the majority of the Democratic electorate in the country's most populous city.

"A win for the working class," reacted the DSA to Mamdani's triumph. "New Yorkers achieved the most monumental electoral victory for the US socialist movement in the last century — despite the millions of dollars invested to stop us. Right now, billionaires have more money than ever before. The rest of us struggle to get by. And the political establishment keeps it that way. Zohran’s campaign promised an alternative: a city that works for working people."

But before Mamdani there were other political personalities backed by the DSA or who were and are affiliated members who managed to rise through the ranks and gain major legislative positions. Some of the examples are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, both members of the group known as "The Squad" and who are part of the House of Representatives. The group also saw Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush win seats in Congress.

Bernie Sanders was also endorsed by the organization on several occasions. First, in the 2006 election, in which he succeeded in becoming a senator from Vermont. Then in the Democratic primary for the 2016 presidential election, although on this occasion the far-left organization did not have the same luck: Sanders lost to Hillary Clinton, who was nominated as the Democratic candidate for the White House. That race, along with the subsequent victory of Donald Trump, caused DSA membership to skyrocket, the organization said.

Another candidate who was backed by the DSA was Barack Obama heading into the 2008 presidential election. Even Kamala Harris, when she was nominated as the Democratic candidate following the withdrawal of former President Joe Biden in the last race, was supported by the group, though the former vice president did not have the full backing of the organization; only of a part of its ranks.

Externally, it also campaigned in favor of socialist candidates in other countries, like Jeremy Corbyn in the United Kingdom and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (who has even participated in a DSA event) in France are some examples.